1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an image display device, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for driving an image display device, which are capable of achieving synchronous driving of driving integrated circuits for driving an image display panel, through internal generation of drive control signals, thereby preventing a degradation in picture quality caused by erroneous driving timing and achieving an enhancement in product reliability.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, image display devices of various types have been proposed as a means for displaying digital content. Of the proposed image display devices, flat display devices are most generally used. Flat display devices include, for example, a liquid crystal display device, an organic light emitting display device, a field emission display device, a plasma display panel.
In a general image display device, in which a plurality of pixels is arranged on a display panel, an image is displayed through adjustment of light transmittance or light emission amount of each pixel. To this end, the pixels are arranged in a matrix array in the display panel, and driving circuits are provided in the image display device, to drive the display panel.
In such an image display device, for example, data integrated circuits, which are included in the driving circuits of the image display device, to constitute a data driver, may be attached to at least one source printed circuit board, printed circuit film or the like or may be directly mounted on the display panel. Also, gate integrated circuits may be separately attached to one side of the display panel or may be directly formed on the display panel. Meanwhile, in the case of a timing controller to control the above-mentioned driving integrated circuits or a graphic system, the timing controller is separately provided at a separate control printed circuit board, system board or the like, to supply driving control signals required in the gate and data integrated circuits.
Recently, a proposal to integrate a timing controller and a data driving integrated circuit in the form of a single chip has been made, for application of a one-chip-integrated driving integrated circuit. However, for application of plural one-chip-integrated driving integrated circuits, there is a problem in that the plural driving integrated circuits should be synchronously driven, even though they internally generate driving control signals for driving thereof. In other words, synchronous driving of the driving integrated circuits is possible when the same synchronizing signals are externally supplied to the plural driving integrated circuits, which, in turn, generate driving control signals for driving thereof, respectively. When the driving integrated circuits internally generate driving control signals without external synchronizing signals, it is difficult to achieve synchronization of the driving integrated circuits. For this reason, in conventional cases, there may be a degradation in picture quality caused by erroneous driving timing and a degradation in product reliability caused by a degradation in picture quality.